October 3, 2024 - Jake Pollack has enjoyed a successful rookie season competing in the 2024 Ligier JS F4 Series. The 18 year old has made a massive performance step throughout the season including scoring podium finishes at the Road America and Mid-Ohio events. In August, Pollack competed in his first races in an F3 car while driving in the California-based Formula Pro USA Western Championship with the No. 1 JENSEN F3 car, and earning a pair of hard-fought race victories at Sonoma Raceway.
With plans set for Pollack to graduate to racing full time in Formula Regional Americas Championship (FR Americas) with the JENSEN team for the 2025 season, providing him with an opportunity to gain advance experience competing in the higher-level category is an ideal scenario. Austin is also Pollack's home race, as he lives in nearby San Antonio, Texas.
This will be the third-consecutive season for the JENSEN team to graduate one of their F4 rookie drivers to finish their season in the higher F3 series at the Austin F1 circuit. Two years ago, Oliver Westling made a stellar debut, qualifying fourth and finishing second in the 2022 FR Americas season finale. The following year, he closed his 2023 season one step higher with a dramatic last-lap pass to take the victory.
JENSEN team owner Eric Jensen commented, "It's been a pleasure to see Jake develop his craft as a race car driver throughout the 2024 season. He is extremely diligent with his process, and as a result has quickly adapted to driving the much faster aero grip F3 car."
Pollack made his debut testing the Ligier F3 car over two days at the New Jersey Motorsports Park circuit in July. Ligier F3 cars are capable of producing top speeds over 160 mph. Paired with the increased speeds relative to the F4 race cars, drivers also have increased aerodynamic downforce available that provides increased braking and cornering performance. Brake application is an increasingly important skill to unlock the Ligier F3 car's performance potential, which is something that the JENSEN team works extensively with its young drivers to understand and master.
FR Americas is the top level American junior race series on the FIA Formula 1 driver development ladder. The 2024 championship is comprised of seven race weekends at iconic American race circuits including Road America, Mid-Ohio, and the season finale Circuit of The Americas. Ligier JS F3 are the specification race cars used in the championship, powered by 303-horsepower turbo-charged engines.
For more information about Jake Pollack and JENSEN's young driver development programs, contact Eric Jensen via email at jensen@jensenga.com
For more information about the Formula Regional Americas Championship visit the series website www.framericas.com
- JENSEN PR